Misplaced Pages

#741258

105-472: Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne OBE (born 13 January 1960) is a British choreographer . His productions contain many classic cinema and popular culture references and draw thematic inspiration from musicals , film noir and popular culture Popular novels and films usually form the basis for his work but Bourne's dance adaptations are sui generis , distinct from their originals. For example, his 1995 restaging of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake updated

210-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in

315-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to

420-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to

525-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by

630-471: A cast including some young men who had never danced before. The project's goal was to stage a production of Lord of the Flies that drew on the talent pool of the cities where it was shown. Typical of Bourne's adaptations, as director, he chooses to set his Lord of the Flies in a deserted theatre. The boy's reasons for being trapped in a deserted theatre are unclear. Nor is it apparent why this abandoned theatre has

735-754: A choreographer. In 1992, he placed the Christmas Eve scene of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 's The Nutcracker in a Victorian orphanage reminiscent of a Charles Dickens novel. His 1994 version of Filippo Taglioni's La Sylphide titled Highland Fling , was set in a modern-day Glaswegien housing project. Highland Fling was also the beginning of Bourne's creative alliance with the designer Lez Brotherston. Bourne's work primarily concerns clarity of exposition, characterisation , technical staging and cinematic devices . Thematically, his work draws on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals, film noir and Alfred Hitchcock , among others. Bourne's career trajectory shifted after his time at

840-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and

945-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,

1050-415: A decaying pig's head. But in this new setting, Golding's characters find themselves scavenging for mini ice cream tubs in this new setting. Bourne drew on many sources of inspiration when creating Sleeping Beauty in 2012, as did his dancers for their characters. He read multiple versions of the story, noting commonalities and differences. While he ignored the second half of Perrault 's original, he found

1155-407: A drifter who finds himself in a love triangle with Lana, the wife of a local garage owner, and Angelo, a young man grappling with his identity in the town's hypermasculine environment. Typical of Bourne productions, the production blends genres, dotting film, ballet, and musical references amongst its retro visual designs. Larger productions use a flexible multi-tier set construction incorporating

SECTION 10

#1732869289742

1260-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on

1365-539: A live orchestra and billboard screens, allowing for a seamless transition between scenes and creating a thrust stage . The production's soundtrack merges compositions from Rodion Shchedrin's Carmen Suite with sound effects, thus functioning as both an orchestral score and a cinematic soundtrack. This blend of audio elements contributes to the atmosphere and progression of the narrative. The Car Man's most recent cast includes Zizi Strallen as Lana, Will Bozier as Luca, and Paris Fitzpatrick as Angelo. The choreography

1470-404: A mythology do not dissect it into various parts, that when physically together humans do not tell stories by using limited components in a configuration, and that people and their cultures do change and thus this leads to new developments in stories, including characters. Mythological characters have influence that extends to recent works of literature. The poet Platon Oyunsky draws heavily from

1575-592: A narrative reminiscent of Nicolas Roeg 's work in Performance . The plotline follows Prentice, the manservant , as he caters to his employer, Anthony's needs while simultaneously scheming his downfall. Bourne's choreography intensifies during these scenes, highlighting the characters' dynamic interactions. Certain scenes highlight the ambiguous relationships between the characters. For instance, Prentice's friend Speight seduces Anthony's neglected fiancée, Glenda, though his actions hint at more complex motivations. Speight

1680-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of

1785-413: A robotic goofiness akin to pantomime to confidence as his suburban community accepts him. But finally descends into theatrical despair after Kim and the town's community reject him. The production's highlights included Edward's dream, where momentarily free of his scissor hands, he performs a duet with Kim flanked by dancers dressed as Edward's topiary art. Terry Davies based the score on themes from

1890-559: A second act dominated by themes of guilt and revenge. The production's duality mirrors the character of Luca, who compellingly embodies multiple aspects of the narrative's nuanced exploration of desire and identity. Play Without Words debuted in 2002 as part of the National Theatre 's Transformation season, aimed at attracting a younger audience. The production, a dance work, drew inspiration from 1960s British new wave cinema. It featured an atmospheric jazz score by Terry Davies and

1995-802: A seven-week residency. Bourne's 2016 adaptation of The Red Shoes is based on the iconic Powell and Pressburger film and inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the same name about a pair of red shoes that enhance their owner's dancing abilities but at a cost. Lez Brotherston designed the set to resemble the grandeur of an opera house. And Terry Davies incorporated Bernard Herrmann's more obscure soundtracks to create an atmospheric score performed by New Adventures' 16-piece orchestra conducted by Brett Morris. The adaptation premiered in Plymouth on November 21, 2016, starring Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page. The two-act performance glimpses

2100-490: A subject without adopting its criticised traits has featured heavily in the subsequent analysis of Bourne's Dorian Grey . Bourne's 2011 adaptation of William Golding's classic illustrates masculinity's savagery-inducing effects in a way that words cannot. Unlike previous Bourne productions. The Theatre Royal approached the Bourne's New Adventures charitable arm, ReBourne, to stage the show with Scottish Arts Council funding and

2205-481: A theatre's inner workings and the sacrifice required for seamless performances. For example, early in the performance, the spotlight voyeuristically tracks the company's prima ballerina assoluta , Michela Meazza, as she wafts, waves and flutters a La Sylphide -styled tutu's fairy wings emulating the imminent performance's movements. After its initial run, The Red Shoes toured the UK and internationally. Officer of

SECTION 20

#1732869289742

2310-501: A threat to Dorian's position as a figure of public and private adoration. Ultimately, rather than destroy the painting like he does in Wilde's original, Bourne's contemporary Dorian Grey stabs his doppelgänger in front of the paparazzi . The Doppelgänger first appears after Dorian's involvement in his lover Cyril's drug overdose. The doppelganger's presence increases thereafter. At several points Dorian scrutinises his own actions by observing

2415-592: A visually striking setting created by Anthony Ward , combining elements of the graphic novel with surreal, vibrant colors. Bourne's Nutcracker! blends ballet, folk dance and mime in elaborately choreographed movements. The performance references the Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie and Les Patineurs to form a tableau reminiscent of The Nutcracker 's original choreographers, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov . In 1995, AMP premiered Bourne's restaging of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake . In his updated version, he placed

2520-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear

2625-408: Is being considered for merging .›   A character's voice is their manner of speech. Different characters use different vocabularies and rhythms of speech. For example, some characters are talkative, others taciturn. The way a character speaks can be a powerful way of revealing the character's personality. In theory, a reader should be able to identify which character is speaking simply from

2730-419: Is deeply integrated into the storytelling, with initial group numbers establishing the setting, before individual interactions become the narrative's driving force. Notably, the carnal encounters between Luca, Lana, and Angelo, choreographed with great intensity and physicality, propel the story forward. In the spirit of classic melodrama, the narrative threads of lust, deceit, and violence intertwine, leading to

2835-505: Is introduced to maintain the malign theme, forming a love triangle with Leo. Themes of sleep and rebirth appear in both versions, with one fairy named Hibernia , the Fairy of Rebirth, emphasising this connection. Bourne's original 2012 cast featured Dominic North as Leo and Hannah Vassallo as Aurora. The score was adapted and supplemented with additional sound effects. In 2022 Bourne's Sleeping Beauty returned to Sadler's Wells Theatre for

2940-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to

3045-485: Is presented as an embodiment of an evolving, sexually egalitarian future. Bourne's Play Without Word's pessimistic tone was a stark contrast to the Cultural Olympiad's more optimistic works. The production encouraged audience immersion and encouraged audience members to dress in attire inspired by the 1960s British cinema. Bourne's Edward dance adaptation of Tim Burton's film debuted in 2005. The story follows

3150-421: Is set in 1890, her coming-of-age party in 1911, and her awakening in a modern-day gothic nightmare. The story starts with a childless King and Queen seeking help from the evil fairy Carabosse , who leaves Aurora on the palace's doorstep. The fairies bestow qualities reinforcing her free-spirited nature. Bourne's version encompasses themes of good versus evil, sleep, rebirth, and vampires. Carabosse's son, Caradoc,

3255-416: Is that it is not possible to 'go inside the character's head' in the way possible in a novel, meaning this method of character exposition is unavailable. Still another is that in drama, a character usually can be seen and heard and need not be described. Mythological characters have been depicted to be formulaic and are a part of a classification that consists of several differing, limited archetypes, which

Matthew Bourne - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-480: Is type of component. Multiple components, such as archetypes and other elements of a story, together form a type of configuration that results in fully realized myth. These configurations can be mixed and matched together to form new types of configurations, and humans have never tired of using these configurations for their mythologies. This is an idea that uses the kaleidoscopic model on narrating for mythology. Another perspective holds that humans when reading or hearing

3465-531: The Grimm version, titled Little Briar Rose , closer to the well-known story. The Disney animated film also took liberties, such as omitting the 100-year sleep. Bourne incorporated elements from each of these versions into his production. He addressed perceived shortfalls in the original story, crediting Walt Disney for rectifying them in the 1959 animated version. The historical timeframe of Bourne's narrative provided anchor points for movement styles. Aurora's christening

3570-541: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use

3675-534: The Victorian and Edwardian eras that influenced his version. Bourne's research into previous interpretations and historical contexts contributed to a historically informed performance. Bourne favoured the 1977 Royal Ballet version, appreciating its drama and narrative pace, despite its longer duration. Bourne's dance interpretation of Georges Bizet's , Carmen titled The Car Man , premiered at The Royal Albert Hall in 2000. The narrative revolves around Luca,

3780-590: The 1996 Laurence Olivier Award for best new dance production , and the production won 1999's 53rd Tony Awards for direction and choreography after it opened on Broadway in 1998. The ballet toured internationally multiple times in the early 21st century. Bourne's reinterpretation of this classic fairytale is set in wartime London. Premiered at the Piccadilly Theatre, London in September 1997. Bourne provided his dancers with books and films about Cinderella and

3885-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of

3990-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when

4095-490: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of

4200-504: The Flies added new dimensions to these near-ubiquitous stories. Bourne's recent work, The Midnight Bell , sets Patrick Hamilton 's 1929 novel in a pub , and Bourne's Romeo and Juliet put the tragedy's mental health and youth suicide themes centre stage. In 2016, he was knighted as part of Queen Elizabeth II 2016 New Year Honours list for 'Services to Dance'. Bourne was born on January 13, 1960, in Hackney, London, England. His mother

4305-1021: The Innocent, the Orphan, the Hero, the Caregiver, the Explorer, the Rebel, the Lover, the Creator, the Jester, the Sage, the Magician, and the Ruler. However, Jung's notions of character archetypes have been considered problematic in a variety of ways. First, the use of these archetypes is often reductive and unhelpful for many writers since it simplifies character complexity into clichéd tropes. ‹The template Manual

Matthew Bourne - Misplaced Pages Continue

4410-535: The Laban Centre, where he honed his signature theatrical style. His work stood in contrast to the more provocative dance styles of the 1980s, associated with artists such as Michael Clark and Lloyd Newson 's DV8 Physical Theatre . Instead, Bourne's style centred on romance, wit, and tangible drama, as demonstrated in his adaptation of Swan Lake. Bourne's New Adventure's troupe consists of both ballet and modern dancers who perform intricate choreography that stems from

4515-740: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable

4620-500: The Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or

4725-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of

4830-513: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become

4935-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of

5040-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use

5145-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of

5250-457: The actions of his Doppelgänger from a dissociative state. In contrast to Wilde's original novel, by introducing a Doppelgänger into the plot bourne reframes the protagonist's conflict as an internal conflict with himself, his nature and his values. The production broke The Edinburgh International Festival's biggest-selling dance event record. Mark Morris's set the festival's previous record of 10,146 tickets for his The Hard Nut in 1995. At

5355-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to

SECTION 50

#1732869289742

5460-652: The ballet's setting, narrative and famously used all-male swans. Workshops, collaboration and the innevitable dialogue with the original works inform many of his adaption's choreographical routines and thematic concepts. For his 1997 reimagining of Cinderella , Bourne invoked the Victorian and Edwardian eras by disseminating certain books and novels from those time periods amongst the production's cast members. His New Adventures dance company's work covers ballet , contemporary dance , dance theatre and musical theatre . His adaptations of Sleeping Beauty , Edward Scissorhands , The Red Shoes , Dorian Gray , and Lord of

5565-468: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of

5670-546: The centre's dance company. However, his interests gradually shifted from dancing to choreographing for television, theatre, and other dance companies. He completed a BA honours degree in contemporary dance in 1985. And in 1986, he graduated with an MA in dance performance. He co-founded the London-based company Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP) in 1987. Bourne's radical reinterpretations of classic ballets set him apart as

5775-424: The character's actions and movements. Bourne's works often convert written works into physical, visual, and musical forms, initiating a dialogue between the adaptation and the original work by actively emphasising the relationship between the two. Moreover, because his work uses many classic cinema and popular culture references, its impact largely depends on the viewer's relationship to the original work. Since

5880-478: The choreography. In Bourne's Nutcracker! , a dance adaptation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 's The Nutcracker first staged in 1992, Clara inhabits a black-and-white orphanage under the rule of a stern matron and Dr. Dross. Somehow, Clara's Nutcracker doll transforms into a young man who leads her on a journey to Sweetieland, a fictional location where sweets and confectionary represent pleasure and desire. In this world, earlier characters reappear as sweets in

5985-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with

6090-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon

6195-424: The collective subconscious of people across cultural and political boundaries. These twelve archetypes are often cited in fictional characters. 'Flat' characters may be considered so because they stick to a single archetype without deviating, whereas 'complex' or 'realistic' characters will combine several archetypes, with some being more dominant than others – as people are in real life. Jung's twelve archetypes are:

6300-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In

6405-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse

SECTION 60

#1732869289742

6510-517: The degree of formality in spoken language is also useful. Introverts tend to use more formal language compared to extroverts, who typically speak in a more casual and colloquial manner. Characters who spend a lot of their lives in a more formal setting often use a more formal language all the time, while others never do. Tone of voice, volume, rate of delivery, vocabulary, inflection, emphasis, pitch, topics of conversation, idioms, colloquialisms, and figures of speech: all of these are expressions of who

6615-607: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by

6720-625: The final production of Dorian Gray . Therefore, in the performance's original programme, Bourne credited both himself and his company for the production's choreography. Richard Winsor , who played Dorian, and Jason Piper , who portrayed Basil Hallward in the ballet's second iteration, both participated in the Romeo & Romeo workshop. Moreover, he began to refine Wilde's narrative's intricate plot and themes during conversations with long-term collaborator Lez Brotherston. Bourne attests that their adaptation preserves most of Wilde's original work, particularly

6825-515: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms

6930-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of

7035-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within

7140-594: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Characterization The term characterization

7245-476: The influential development of psychology . There are two ways an author can convey information about a character: Characters in theater, television, and film differ from those in novels in that an actor may interpret the writer's description and dialogue in their own unique way to add new layers and depth to a character. This can be seen when critics compare, for example, the 'Lady Macbeths' or 'Heathcliffs' of different actors. Another major difference in drama

7350-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to

7455-624: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of

7560-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning

7665-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within

7770-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,

7875-547: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of

7980-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with

8085-412: The movie score by Danny Elfman . Bourne's adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in 2008 highlights the combination of celebrity and youth that lead to Wilde's protagonist's downfall. Bourne's concept originated from a male duet workshop titled Romeo and Romeo . The dancers' contributions and the choreographical ideas that emerged from the workshop, with some minor changes, formed

8190-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use

8295-645: The native mythology of his homeland, the Yakut region in Russia and the Sahka people. In several of his stories, he depicts a main character that follows historic examples of heroism, but fashions the main character using Soviet examples of heroism, even using real life figures, such as Stalin, Lenin, etc. in a new type of mythology. These figures often play the lead in tragic stories full of sacrifice. An example of this includes his character Tygyn, who on his quest for peace determines that

8400-426: The novel's central theme of a handsome young man's internal corruption. The desire to modernise the narrative raised several discussions about which time period might work best for their reimaging. Initially, they considered setting their adaptation in the 1960s because both Bourne and Brotherston often revisit this period in their work. However, they decided to set their rendering in the present. Later, Bourne admitted

8505-449: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of

8610-519: The only way for peace to exist is to use military strength to enforce. The use of mythology is used in Shakespeare's Hamlet as a device to parallel the characters and to reflect back on them their role in the story, such as the use of the Niobe myth and the twin sister of Gertrude. The psychologist Carl Jung identified twelve primary 'original patterns' of the human psyche. He believed that these reside in

8715-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that

8820-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of

8925-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to

9030-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from

9135-509: The piece's contemporary setting brought an element of apprehension. In his adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray , Bourne changes Sybil Vane to a male ballet dancer called Cyril and he rewrites Lord Henry as a female magazine editor who wields considerable power. The plotline of Bourne's Dorian Grey also differs slightly from Wilde's. In Bourne's adaptation, the portrait reflecting the protagonist's inner state, transforms into Dorian's doppelgänger . Dorian's doppelgänger incrementally poses

9240-445: The prince in a contemporary dysfunctional family and had him fall in love with a male swan. Drawing inspiration from Tchaikovsky's music and nature, Bourne portrayed swans as large, aggressive, and powerful creatures, danced by bare-chested men wearing knee-length shorts made of shredded silk resembling feathers. This was a significant departure from the traditional portrayal of swans by young women in romantic white costumes. Swan Lake won

9345-586: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:

9450-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of

9555-413: The start of his career, Bourne's approach has involved a collaborative process with his dancers and creative-partners. In 2007, Sam Archer and Richard Winsor , portraying Edward in the initial Edward Scissorhands performances, confirmed that Bourne still uses this approach; where in a piece's embryonic stage, Bourne assigns the dancers tasks like creating individual dance steps that eventually form part of

9660-402: The tale of a boy with scissors for hands created by an inventor in a gothic workshop. The boy, Edward, played by Dominic North, is welcomed into 1950s suburban America in a fictional town called Hope Springs. Bourne subtly caricatured the social life and mannerisms of the time realised through Lez Brotherston 's costumes and stage designs. The protagonist's dance movement arc progresses from

9765-439: The time, The Herald reported that Bourne's Dorian Grey sold 11,212 tickets. Bourne's Dorian Grey and Oscar Wilde's original work faced similar criticism; both Wilde's original and Bourne's adaptation parodied the excess and superficiality of celebrity culture ;but some critics still derided the performance's choreography for how it depicted the traits central to its protagonist's narcissism . The challenge of satirising

9870-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of

9975-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and

10080-477: The way they talk. When a character voice has been created that is rich and distinctive, the writer can get away with omitting many speech attributions (tag lines). The manner of a character's speech is to literature what an actor's appearance and costume are to cinema. In fiction, what a character says, as well as how they say it, makes a strong impression on the reader. Each character should have their distinctive voice. To differentiate characters in fiction,

10185-722: The writer must show them doing and saying things, but a character must be defined by more than one single topic of conversation or by the character's accent. The character will have other interests or personality quirks as well. Although individual temperament is the largest determinant of what a character says, it is not the only one. The writer can make the characters' dialogue more realistic and interesting by considering several factors affecting how people speak: personality psychology, age, culture, family background, region, gender, education, and circumstances. Words characterize by their diction, cadence, complexity, attitude and fluency. Mannerisms and catch-phrases can help too. Considering

10290-559: Was a secretary and his father worked for Thames Water . Bourne had no formal ballet training during his childhood. However, as a teenager, he was passionate about show business. He would frequently autograph hunt in London's West End after his mother took him to see Dame Edith Evans and Friends in 1974 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket . He wrote to and received letters back from Joan Crawford , Charlie Chaplin and Bette Davis . He

10395-507: Was eighteen when he attended Sadler's Wells Theatre to see his first ballet, Swan Lake . He worked as a filing clerk at the BBC and as an usher at The National Theatre for four years after graduating from William Fitt and Sir George Monoux School in Walthamstow, London . At 20 he started studying at London's Laban Centre and began dance classes at 22. In 1985, he toured for two years with

10500-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin

10605-418: Was introduced in the 19th century. Aristotle promoted the primacy of plot over characters, that is, a plot-driven narrative, arguing in his Poetics that tragedy "is a representation, not of men, but of action and life." This view was reversed in the 19th century, when the primacy of the character, that is, a character-driven narrative, was affirmed first with the realist novel , and increasingly later with

10710-561: Was largely influenced by Joseph Losey 's 1963 film The Servant . This film, scripted by Harold Pinter , explored class and power dynamics through the story of a young upper-class man who hires a Cockney valet to manage his townhouse, a relationship that implodes due to the valet's manipulation. Bourne's unique approach involved casting each character multiple times, concurrently revealing different and sometimes contradictory aspects of their personalities. This technique created an environment where reality and fantasy coexisted, resulting in

10815-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach

10920-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as

11025-566: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of

#741258